M1 has a longstanding commitment to conduct its business in a responsible and sustainable way, and to play a meaningful role in the well-being of our stakeholders, the community we live in and the environment through our sustainability efforts.
Introduction
M1 has a longstanding commitment to conduct its business in a responsible and sustainable way, and to play a meaningful role in the well-being of our stakeholders, the community we live in and the environment through our sustainability efforts.
We are pleased to present our fourth annual sustainability report, covering M1’s economic, environmental, social and corporate governance performance for 2014.
This document has been prepared in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 “Core” level guidelines, in describing key materiality issues and impact on our stakeholders.
Details of M1’s corporate practices and our initiatives to further improve in this area, such as our new Supplier Code of Conduct, can be found in the Our Business section. We continue to provide a holistic, inclusive and collaborative workplace for all employees, and we have provided a description of our human resource policies and practices, with additional statistics, in the Our People section. The Our Community and Our Environment sections detail our various contributions to the community, and our continued efforts to minimise our environmental footprint.
Internationally accepted measurement units are used in the reporting of performance data and indicators, and no previously reported data has been restated. A full listing of reported General Standard Disclosures and Specific Standard Disclosures can be found on pages 82 to 86 of this Annual Report.
We continually review our sustainability performance, as well as monitoring and reporting processes for further enhancements or improvements.
We welcome feedback on this report and possible areas of improvement at corpcomms@m1.com.sg
Reporting Scope and Boundaries
The report is limited to M1 operations under its direct control for the period 1 January to 31 December 2014.
In preparing this report, we reviewed our business operations to assess and identify key environmental, social and governance issues, and addressed areas of interest highlighted by our stakeholders. We then applied the GRI’s G4 reporting principles, including stakeholder inclusiveness, key materiality, the sustainability context, and indicator comparability; to the identified key material issues most relevant to our business operations and stakeholders, and presented the results accordingly.
Stakeholder
Main engagement channels
Stakeholder’s expectations
How M1 addresses concerns and notable initiatives
Consumer and corporate customers
24-hour contact centre
M1 Shop outlets
Mobile sales team
Corporate sales team
Technical support team
M1 website and Facebook page feedback forms
Reliable, quality network access
Relevant and affordable products and services
Effective customer service
Data protection
Continual investment in networks to benefit customers. In 2014, we launched Singapore’s first nationwide 300Mbps 4G mobile network to deliver faster mobile Internet access to customers
Continual investment in customer service and employee training
Clear disclosure of all information relevant to customers in marketing materials
Procedures to ensure the
privacy of our customer’s personal data
Institutional and retail investors
Access to our Investor Relations team and senior management through:
Email
Teleconferences
Meetings
Investor conferences
Investor roadshows
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Annual Reports
Sustainable business growth
Ability to generate expected returns on their investment
Good corporate governance
Transparency in business strategy and operations
Protection under laws for minority shareholders’ interest
Relevant Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives
M1’s Investor Relations team is committed to responding to investors’ concerns in a timely manner
Quarterly financial results briefing and Q&A sessions are conducted within a month of period end. M1 is Singapore’s only communications company to report within such a time frame
Senior management is present and responsive in investor meetings, teleconferences, roadshows and AGMs
Business partners and suppliers
Meetings
Emails
Telephone
Transparent and fair procurement and other business practices
Compliance with terms and conditions of business contracts
Communicate M1’s business policies to employees
Transparent business processes in the selection of winning tenderers
Avenues to report incidents of abuse and corruption
Whistleblower policy
M1’s Supplier Code of Conduct, to further encourage best practices in procurement, was developed in 2014 and launched in January 2015
Employees
Employee feedback
Team-building sessions
Annual employee appraisal sessions
Bi-annual townhall events
Quarterly CEO messages
Grievance handling channel through Human Resource Department
Union representation
Safe working environment
Fair remuneration and benefits
Non-discriminatory practices
Career growth
Relevant employee training
Maintain a safe and pleasant working environment
Recruit, reward and promote employees based on performance and merit
Continual investment in human capital
Regulators
Regular formal and informal discussions
Teleconferences
Active participation, including written submissions, in relevant industry consultation sessions
Compliance with regulations and service requirements
Deliver continued socio-economic benefits to society
Work with industry to maintain consistent technological standards
Policies to ensure compliance with regulations and laws
Swift remedial action in case of any regulatory or legislative violation
Network upgrading initiatives
Analysts and the media
Access to our Corporate Communications and Investor Relations teams through:
Email
Teleconferences
Meetings
Organised visits and industry events
Quarterly results conferences and teleconferences
Timely and transparent disclosure of corporate information
Access to senior management
Prompt response to queries
M1’s Corporate Communications and Investor Relations team works closely with these stakeholders to ensure they have access to the information they need, and respond to their queries in a timely manner
Trade associations
Membership in and engaging with trade bodies and associations, including the Contact Centre Association of Singapore, National Trade Union Congress, Singapore Internet Exchange, and Singapore National Employer Federation
Deliver industry approved products and services
Adoption of industry best practices
Participation in industry events and dialogue sessions
Harmonise our company policies and networks with globally accepted technologies and standards
Non-governmental organisations and community partners
Discussions with community groups
Participation in relevant conferences
Reporting on our sustainability strategy and performance
Minimise any social, public health or environmental impact
Support deserving community efforts and underprivileged groups
Continual support of adopted community causes and conservation efforts
Ensure products and services address the needs of and are available to underserved communities
Continually review and enhance sustainability performance and reporting
Key Materiality Issues, Aspects and Sustainability Context
The following section is a summary of the key issues material to our operations in the wider context of sustainability, as determined through our engagement with stakeholders, and inputs from our management and employees. We have also provided an indication of the impact of the issues, and a summary of our management approach toward each issue.
Material Issues
Material Aspects
Sustainability Context
Management Approach
Internal impact
External impact
Network access and coverage
Good quality and reliable network access
Affordable selection of products and services
Digital inclusion
We provide mobile and fixed services to close to 2 million customers
The availability and affordability of our services greatly enhance our customers’ productivity and quality of life
As at end-2014, we have invested more than S$1.6 billion into our mobile networks and we continually invest in technology to enhance our networks for the benefit of our customers
Yes
Yes
Ethics and integrity
Transparency in business practices including marketing communications, recruitment and procurement
Data privacy
Maintaining a high standard of corporate governance is key to protecting the interests of our stakeholders, including customers, employees, business partners and shareholders
The company has strict guidelines and policies with regard to procurement and staff conduct in our business, and we abide by all relevant laws including those governing data protection
Yes
Yes
Employees
A safe and conducive working environment
Relevant training
We provide employment to 1,488 full-time employees, who form an important stakeholder segment and a critical component to our continued success in the competitive marketplace
We maintain a safe and conducive working environment
We have a merit-based recruitment and promotion policy
Our human resource function, management and employees work together to identify suitable and relevant training programmes to enhance employees’ skill sets
Yes
No
Economic performance
Continued, sustainable business growth
We contribute toward Singapore’s economy by responsibly paying our taxes and introducing business opportunities for our business partners
Our shareholders benefit through regular dividend payouts and share price performance
Our employees share in the company’s success, through monetary rewards and staff benefits
Our continuous network investment and introduction of innovative products and services have a positive impact on the level of competition in our industry for the benefit of both retail and corporate consumers in Singapore
We continually invest in our networks to enhance customer experience, delivering relevant products and services that bring value to our customers, and providing a positive customer experience, to drive our business forward
Yes
Yes
Community support
Supporting deserving community initiatives and underprivileged groups
We believe that for a company to be successful in the long term, it should help create value for the community it operates in
We are a long-term supporter of such causes, by providing financial assistance and conducting outings through the efforts of the M1 SunCare Club volunteers.
We focus our efforts on the arts and sports causes in their start-up stage, where our contributions can make a meaningful impact
Yes
Yes
Environmental footprint
Energy usage
Energy is required to drive our business
As a non-extractive business, M1 does not have a significant environmental footprint
We continually review our environmental footprint to identify feasible initiatives to make the most efficient use of limited resources in a sustainable way
Yes
Yes
In addition to the stated key material issues above, we note that there may also be other important sustainability-related issues, such as our impact on biodiversity. We have not included these issues in our report as they are not material to our business, due to our operating environment or the nature of our business.
